May 2019
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May 2019
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DasIstWunderblyat
May '19

Do you have any tips to?
What to consider, when to restart, and what changes must be brought?

Do you think it is necessary move or a waste of time?

Thank you! :smile:

(This is just for future reference)

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    May '19

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    May '19
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elyss
May '19

Only restart if you feel you can't progress without doing so (that's how it was for me). Tell your readers it's happening and why (if you're comfortable with it). Tell the readers what's going to change (again if you're comfy with it). Ask yourself why you want to restart and consider the pros and cons again and again before doing it because it can be a lot of work.

KrispyKremeBits
May '19

I restarted my comic a year or two ago because I didn't like how I was writing my characters and how they were interacting with one another (plus I didn't like my art) So I made the decision to restart it with the help of a friend instead of by myself. Only you can decide if you want to restart for whatever reason you want, could be anything but you have to think it over. If you do start over, have other people take a look at your work and see what they have to say.

therippleeffectcomic
May '19

I don't really have advice, as such, but I did restart mine at the end of last year from scratch. Luckily I was only about 25 pages in, so it wasn't a massive blow.

I wasn't happy with the art, it felt rushed, it felt sloppy and I started to resent it. I agree with previous posts in communicating with your readers if you have a fanbase (mine was/is incredibly small which helped my decision). I'm sure you'll find that they'll support you if you feel your decision is in your best interest.

keii4ii
May '19

Do you know what went wrong with the current version, and how to address those problems? Because the last thing you want is to reboot, only to find the new version suffering from the same problems.

Also, this:

The way I word it is "reboot not to fix the past, but to fix the future." The story I'd started drawing was not the story I wanted to tell. So I rebooted it, and am making the story I want to tell.

borzoiteeth
May '19

For any personal tips you are going to have to give more info, because there are countless reasons to restart. From thinking the story would better shine in another medium, or art style..

Most common reason I see people restart a series is because they did not properly outline their plot or understand their characters. They write themselves into plot holes or into a way different story than what was imagined altogether. I stress this because I commonly see people say plotted when they actually never did so. If you plotted it through you would know what was coming. If something wasn't going to add up later you'd find out in the rough draft and address it.

As I was typing this out I saw Keii4ii's post. It is really important that you note what exactly is troubling you about your story. Rebooting without understanding why the story wasn't sitting well with you is recipe for accidentaly repeating said process. Write out questions like you were going to give yourself an interview. What was my original goal with this work? Why do I feel like this isn't working out? Etc.

No matter how obvious and straight forward the plot is in your head note it all down. It doesn't need to be detailed- a skeleton of an outline is fine. See what it looks like in a space that isn't your the vague goal points in your head.

Sure, for some comics that are more nebulous in story/arcs (if there are any) there really isn't a thing to plan towards. Expect you still are, because something is happening for each chapter (even if the effects of said happening doesn't stay for the next chapter). Even in these slice-of-life or newspaper strip style works you have ideas of moments that are going to play out. When you run out of ideas, or lose passion for the project, what do you want the work to end on?

elyss
May '19

Planning gets a bad rep, but it's important to do. Planning does not equal set in stone. It's only there to let you know where you're headed with the major destinations on the itinerary, detours are always welcome too so long as you get to those big destinations along the way.

borzoiteeth
May '19

Exactly. I'm used to dealing with RPs with over 20+ significant characters. There is a lot of improv going on but there is also a responsibility that you make sure every character get an appropriate amount of attention. Divide it up into arcs so no one gets overwhelmed by the fact there are 20+ important characters on the loose.

How did planning get a bad reputation? I don't understand.

elyss
May '19

From what I've seen on here, many people see it as the end of creativity, though I'm not sure why.

borzoiteeth
May '19

Now I'm even more confused‽ It takes so much creativity to design! That's like refusing to design your characters because then their set physicality will destroy future potential of story.